Is Your Big Toe Getting Too Big For It's Boots?

How the Big Toe May Contribute To YOUR Back Pain

If you have been following our blogs, you know that is not all about treating the site of pain – it is always about look for the underlying cause.

The Role Of Our Toes

Our foot and toes plays a major part in getting us walking correctly. Your heel hits the ground and transfers your body weight to your pinky toe, your midfoot unlocks and your foot goes flat, extending your big toe to make contact with the ground – and off you go taking you taking a big steps into the world!

Sometimes your big toe doesn’t have a good extension and your body uses the incorrect parts of your body to help get you walking. For example instead of using your big toe extension it uses your knee, pushing it inwards to help your foot make contact with the ground. Your hip then turns inwards – making your back favour one side of your hip, causing muscle shortening, joint restrictions, wear and tear etc.

After months and years of walking like this the end result, you guessed it, is back pain!

Why Your Big Toe Can Get Too Big For It’s Boots?

Lot of things can cause poor extension in your big toe - old injuries, poor footwear, those expensive high heels. Majority of the time its two particular foot muscles that have become weakened and limit big toe extension - The Flexor Digitorum longus (FHL). if the FHL is tight say goodbye to your big toe able to lift off. The other is the Peroneus Longus (your outer calf muscle), this guy is super important in transferring weight from your pinky toe to your big toe when walking. If it is weak, it will have trouble pushing off your big toe causing changes upstream.

If you are having back pain that is not resolving with conservative treatment, stretching, releasing, activating your glutes it might be a good idea to see what your big toe is doing.

Still not sure if this is the problem or how to check? Ask us. We would love to help any way we can. Send us an email on the link below and we will get back to you pronto.